


And He'll Always Remain

by Siver



Series: A Change in Fate [4]
Category: Final Fantasy X, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, M/M, a bit of lynne and sissel too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-12 13:00:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13547835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siver/pseuds/Siver
Summary: Jowd's Pilgrimage post Via Purifico. Lynne, Sissel and Cabanela want to find a way to keep Jowd from dying as a summoner. Cabanela goes to speak with Jowd. Paralleling the Macalania Springs scene in as much as it's possible to do with these people. A snarkier, more argumentative scene, but they have their moments. (context in notes or series notes)





	And He'll Always Remain

**Author's Note:**

> I had no intentions of doing anything with that scene but dialogue started coming to mind and off I went. I'm not sure what it says that the first line or close to it that I thought of was "“Off to go think, brood, have a good laugh I’m suuure,” Cabanela replied." but there it was. As always, Jowd no. 
> 
> This came about from a discussion then got out of hand with writing bits and here we are.  
> Context:  
> Alma was a summoner and Jowd and Yomiel (a Guado and his cat Sissel) were her guardians. Cabanela hated the whole affair and was left but followed after. They failed leaving Alma and Yomiel dead but Jowd survives with Cabanela's intervention.
> 
> Later Jowd picks up where Alma left off. Cabanela, Lynne and later Sissel join as guardians. Sissel was scrambled by Sin and doesn't know who he really is thinking he is Yomiel in body, so he appears to be a guado himself.

They were quiet, left to their own thoughts, mulling over everything that just happened. Lynne paced, her agitation clear. Sissel rested on a low thick branch while Cabanela leaned against the tree below him. The Maesters. Seymour. He had a feeling they would see him again sooner than later. 

“Where did Jowd go?” Sissel asked.

“Off to go think, brood, have a good laugh I’m suuure,” Cabanela replied.

“Do you think…?” Lynne hesitated. “Do you think he might change his mind about everything?”

“What do you thiiink?” Ah Lynne, surely she ought to know better by now, but he couldn’t fault her optimism.

“Everything is worse than we thought. How can we just continue on with what we know? There’s gotta be something we can do, right?”

“But it doesn’t change anything with Sin, does it?” Sissel asked.

“Maybe sooo. I’ll check on him.”

Cabanela strolled into the woods. Now what would be a suitably dramatic place? _Ah._ Yes. He made his way toward the spring and was rewarded with the sight of Jowd sitting near the water. He approached and sat beside him, legs out and leaned back on his hands.

“Didn’t see that coming,” Jowd said.

“Can’t saaay any of us did. The others want to know what you plaaan to do now.”

“What else is there to do?” Jowd asked with a shrug. “Stop? Live a normal life?”

“Or the closest approximation,” Cabanela said lightly. “We could traaavel. Test our theory for your affinity with chocobos.”

Jowd chuckled. “I think you would make a better subject for that particular test. An expert eye just might be able to tell where one begins and the other ends.”

“Ha! And where would be the fun in that?”

“Travel for travel’s sake, eh?” Jowd mused after a moment’s quiet.

“Or research,” Cabanela said. “A change in direction.” Find a real solution. Make a dream reality.

“Hm.”

Cabanela hopped to his feet, shedding his coat as he did so. "Come on,” he said. “The water looks looovely. I haven’t had a good swim in too long.”

“Oh? What miraculous way led you out of the Via Purifico?”

“Thaaat was an escape with a cranky water-avoidant guado and doesn’t count.”

Cabanela waded out into the water and dove smoothly into it before letting himself float back to the surface. He lay back, spreading himself out and let the water carry him as it would.  

“I didn’t think you needed to prove your connection to a starfish,” Jowd said.

"Nor you to a rock and yeeet,” Cabanela called back.

It was peaceful and beautiful. The lights of the woods and the stars shone above reflecting back in the water. Everything was wonderfully alive. Splashing alerted him to Jowd’s presence as the man swam toward him before floating near.

Cabanela smiled. “The rock swims.”

“And would have no qualms in sinking a starfish.”

Cabanela turned his head to him with a daring grin. “Tryyy it.”

“Moonlight and fairy dust would float you right back up. I know a futile effort when I see one.”

“Do you?” Cabanela returned his gaze to the sky. “You don’t have to do this.”

Jowd sighed. “Nothing has changed.”

“Exactly. Nothing ever changes. The Maesters are dead. The world may as well be.”

“Of all people to start sounding like Seymour,” Jowd said with a low laugh.

“ _’If all life were to end on Spira, all suffering would end. … With death on our side, we will save Spira.’_ I say what’s the difference? We already rely on death for peace.”

“For the few who choose it to bring life to the rest.”

Cabanela snorted. “Tell that to the failed summoners. Tell that to the Al Bhed, the Crusaders, the towns destroyed by Sin.”

“And the many who may enjoy a Calm?”

Cabanela turned over to tread water and Jowd joined him. “And that’s all it’s abouuut, is it? Nothin’ to do with Alma?”

“I failed her, but I can pick up where she left off. They died while I lived on, while we left them.”

The old anger swelled and he barely restrained his voice. “And if you succeeded she would have died anyway.”

“Doing what she chose, earning what she wanted. I’m fighting for her.”

Would he ever stop remembering those words, spoken in a low, pained but calm voice, telling him to leave him? Would he ever forget Jowd’s expression when he completed his first trial? A peaceful smile. Acceptance of slaughter. Would she have approved that?

“This isn’t fighting. It’s giving up. I won’t see you die.”

Jowd’s face was expressionless. “Then go. I never asked you to join me.”

Cabanela surged forward. A hand slid around the back of Jowd’s head and without it Jowd might have gone under in shock as Cabanela kissed him, fueled by a sudden desperation. He held him tight for several seconds that weren’t long enough. He felt Jowd’s warmth and his heart’s beat that threatened to end all too soon.

He pulled back from Jowd, grateful for the water’s disguise and his ability to keep his voice steady. “No. You didn’t, but here I remain.”

The water was meant to be enough. It was Cabanela’s turn to almost drop below the surface when Jowd caught his face in one hand and his arm wrapped around him keeping him afloat. His mouth was a flat line, but there was confusion in his searching eyes as his thumb brushed away some of the moisture from Cabanela’s cheek.

Cabanela tilted his head toward the water surface with a glance at it. Only water.

Jowd’s hand slid up and now his thumb glided along the corner of his eye and his look was plainer. Only water, right. He released Cabanela and looked away. His voice was gruff.

“I do what I have to do.”

“You do what you _think_ you have to do,” Cabanela replied once he was certain he had control of his voice back. “Biiig difference my old friend.”

“Cabanela…” His eyes closed, pained. “This can’t…” His sigh was heavy. “We shouldn’t keep them waiting. We need to move on.” He abruptly turned and swam back to the shore. He stepped away, back stiff and shoulders hunched.

Cabanela sunk below the surface. Let the water wash away layers upon layers of frustration. Then he returned to the shore, wiped the droplets from his face, fetched his coat and followed after Jowd.

“You always did have to follow,” Jowd muttered.

“Always.”


End file.
